Ohio State’s second recruitment of Damon Wilson ended the same way as the first: With the Buckeyes finishing as a runner-up.
Ohio State was viewed as the frontrunner to land Wilson when the five-star recruit who spent the last two years at Georgia entered the transfer portal, but the former Bulldogs edge rusher instead announced his commitment to Missouri on Tuesday.
BREAKING: Georgia transfer EDGE Damon Wilson has Committed to Missouri, he tells @on3sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 15, 2025
The 64 250 EDGE totaled 22 Tackles, 3 Sacks, 2 FF, & 2 FR this season
Ranked as a Top 5 Player in the Portal (No. 1 EDGE) per On3https://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/uKmH1LVIc3
Had the Buckeyes landed Wilson, he would have projected as a major piece in Ohio State’s 2025 pass rush as either a defensive end or Jack linebacker. That said, the Buckeyes still have plenty of candidates to step up and play bigger roles on the edge with the impending departures of Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau after the national championship game.
Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and Caden Curry will both be in the mix for starting jobs next season after waiting their turn behind Sawyer and Tuimoloau while Idaho State transfer Logan George is also expected to play a significant role. C.J. Hicks is also a candidate to play a substantial role on the edge if he makes a full-time move to that role from linebacker next season, especially if Jim Knowles opts to use more three-man fronts next season and bring the Jack position back into regular use in the defense.
Ohio State still has reason to mine the transfer portal for potential additions to supplement its depth on the edge. However, options are now limited now that the portal is closed for new players to enter except for players on the teams that made the CFP semifinals.
So far, Ohio State has added six new players for the 2025 season via the transfer portal: George, offensive tackles Phillip Daniels and Ethan Onianwa, linebacker Ty Howard, running back CJ Donaldson Jr. and tight end Max Klare.
